Brazil Ministry of Health launches national program to reduce work-related deaths

Brazil's Ministry of Health has established the Pact for the Life of Workers (PVTT), a national program designed to prevent and reduce deaths related to work. Formalized through Ordinance GM/MS No. 12.111, the initiative aims to improve surveillance, identify risk factors, and support health-related decision-making through the Unified Health System (SUS).

The program mandates the investigation of all suspected or confirmed work-related deaths, including those resulting from accidents, intoxications, diseases, sudden deaths, and violence. Investigations will cover deaths occurring at the workplace, during service provision, or during commutes. Under the new regulations, technical teams have up to 180 days to conclude investigations once a case is formally registered.

Implementation will be coordinated across federal, state, and municipal levels. Health secretariats are tasked with planning and executing epidemiological surveillance, defining indicators, and establishing technical groups to support causality analysis and intervention.